The Los Angeles Times referred to him in 2011 as "perhaps the most popular Korean rapper in America, Asia and the world.

His father, Suh Byung Hoo (d. 2014), was a DJ and one of the first Korean pop columnists, and the first Billboard correspondent in Korea in the 1970s.

[7][8] His family moved to the United States when he was 12, and he was sent to briefly live with an uncle in Miami, Florida, where he practiced Taekwondo, becoming a 3rd "dan" black belt.

"[3][6][9] Over the next several years, Drunken Tiger brought on new members and released multiple albums, winning numerous awards.

In 2006, Tiger JK left Oasis Records and established his own hip-hop label, Jungle Entertainment.

In 2013, Tiger JK teamed up with Yoon Mi-rae and Bizzy to form the group MFBTY, an acronym for "My Fans are Better Than Yours."

Tiger JK said that, though he had used drugs in the past, he had not used them in Korea, and he said that he was ultimately found guilty due to false testimony from the members of Uptown.

[19] Tiger JK was diagnosed with acute transverse myelitis, a spinal cord condition that affects motor functions, in 2006.

[3][20] In June 2007, Tiger JK married rapper and singer Yoon Mi-rae in a private ceremony in a Buddhist Temple.